It’s that time of the year when we eat over 3,000 calories, see family, and go into a tryptophan coma. Sometimes, we don’t see family or friends because most businesses are no longer closed for the holidays, making it even more difficult to plan family visits. Soldiers haven’t been home for a holiday for at least a year, and many do not come home. This put things into perspective when I asked myself, “Am I thankful”?

After that question, I wondered how many of us give thanks or say “thank you” and mean it. Giving thanks for everything and anything that happens in my life is difficult when I don’t feel thankful or appreciative. It’s easy to give thanks when it’s a good outcome, when we’ve been helped to complete a task, or some other kind gesture. It isn’t easy when we don’t receive the outcome we expect or believe we deserve. Especially when we need help but none is offered.

I wonder if we’ve become desensitized to being thankful. Is it something that many people no longer expect? Has it gone by the wayside like many common courtesies? What will it take to jumpstart a thankful revolution? This is a challenge I’m willing to accept and work towards. Changing my heart not just during the holiday season but year-round isn’t going to be easy, and I will fail many times, but I’m thankful for those opportunities to learn and grow.

1 Chronicles 16:34-35